Gripper foot for metal furniture



Dec. 27, 1955 c, MQLLA GRIPPER FOOT FOR METAL FURNITURE Filed Sept 16, 1954 TOR.

MOLLH ATTOR EY.

United States Patent GRIPPER FOOT FOR METAL FURNITURE Charles P. Molla, Westbury, N. Y. Application September 16, 1954, Serial No. 456,390

2 Claims. (Cl. 45-137) This invention relates to metal furniture and, particularly, to the provision of a gripper foot arranged upon the lower foot ends of the legs of the furniture to provide gripping engagement with a smooth surface when the chair, settee or other piece of furniture is being occupied.

More particularly, the invention deals with'a foot of the character described having a central supporting dome normally sustaining the furniture to permit free sliding movement of the furniture over a surface when the furniture is not occupied.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the lower end portion of a furniture leg showing, in section, one of my improved gripper feet mounted in connection therewith; and

Fig. 2 is a partial view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the foot in operative gripper position.

In Fig. l of the drawing, 5 represents the lower portion of the leg of a piece of metal furniture of any type or kind and at 6 is shown an enlarged disc-type foot end, in connection with which one of my improved gripper feet 7 is adapted to be mounted.

The gripper foot 7 comprises a moulded body 8 of yieldable material, such for example as rubber or synthetic rubber and yieldable plastics, the body 8 being in the form of a circular disc, in the lower central portion of which is anchored a metal dome 9 having a rounded lower surface 10.

The body 8, encircling the dome 9, has two inner and outer circumferentially rounded gripper projections 11 and 12 forming, on the lower surface of the body 8, ring like gripper elements, which are normally above the lower part of the surface 10, so that, normally, the furniture is supported by the dome 9 for free sliding movement over a surface. The gripper elements 11 and 12, however, are moved into gripping engagement with a surface, diagrammatically seen at 13 in Fig. 2 of the drawing, to grip said surface in the manner diagrammatically shown to prevent the furniture from moving over or slipping on the surface 13. The elements 11 and 12 will be flattened or flexed in this gripping engagement and this gripping engagement takes place when the furniture is occupied.

At the upper portion of the body 8 is an annular inturned retaining flange 14, which can be flexed outwardly in attaching the foot 7 to the foot end 6 of the leg 5. It will be noted from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing that, when the weight is applied to the foot end 6, this foot end depresses the body 8, causing the gripper elements 11 and 12 to move into their gripping engagement with the surface 13. When the furniture is free of the occupant or occupants, the foot 8 will return to the position shown in Fig. l, permitting the free sliding movement of the chair, as previously set forth.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A gripper foot for disc-type feet of metal furniture, comprising a ring-like body of yielding material, a metallic dome embedded in the lower central portion of the body and having a rounded surface projecting at said lower surface, the body having, circumferentially around said dome, a downwardly projecting gripper element normally above the lowermost extremity of the outer rounded surface of said dome and adapted to engage and grip a surface, upon which the furniture is supported when the furniture is occupied, means, on the upper portion of said body, for retaining said body in connection with a disc-type foot of a piece of furniture, said foot being of greater diameter than the diameter of said dome, and said foot extending over and bearing directly upon that portion of the body, including the rounded surface.

2. A gripper foot for disc-type feet of metal furniture, comprising a ring-like body of yielding material, a metallic dome embedded in the lower central portion of the body and having a rounded surface projecting at said lower surface, the body having, circumferentially around said dome, a downwardly projecting gripper element normally above the lowermost extremity of the outer rounded surface of said dome and adapted to engage and grip a surface, upon which the furniture is supported when the furniture is occupied, means, on the upper portion of said body, for retaining said body in connection with a disctype foot of a piece of furnitur said foot being of greater diameter than the diameter of said dome, said foot extending over and bearing directly upon that portion of the body, including the rounded surface, said last named; means comprising an inturned flexible flange arranged at right angles to the periphery of said body at the upper portion of said body, and said flange overlying and being spaced from said foot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I 

